Gulf Oil Leak - The Blame Game

It seems we have now moved into the serious business of hanging blame for the deaths, accidental oil explosion and massive leak in the Gulf of Mexico. It becomes more apparent that there will be no quick fix for the problem, and nothing to stem the flow until the parallel drilling is completed sometime in August. So, what do we do meantime? We blame, and it all comes too easily to our lips.


President Obama has not been quiet. He feels strongly, and has already said the chief of bp would not be working for him. He obviously wants to lay blame on someone. It should be noted that 40% of all invested money in bp, comes from the USA. Not only that, but there are tens of thousands of employees of bp who live and work in the Gulf area. Oh, and the name of the company has not been 'British Petroleum' since the 80's, when it changed to bp, mainly because of its US, and multi national standing . President Obama's words have already caused millions of dollars to be wiped off the value of shares, both in the USA and across the world. Some people have even called for a boycott of bp and all their subsidiaries. Harsh talk, but is it justified?


It is worth defining the word accident. It is "any unplanned event that resulted in injury or ill health of people, or damage or loss to property", and worth remembering. We are beginning to look and sound like we have a company in the arena, and about to set the lions on them to see if they survive. They will be innocent if they live! Human nature needs, and wants us to blame so easily. It makes us feel in control, and in this case, we are not in control. Not the US President, not the Chairman of bp, no one.  


How would we feel if we were judged on those things which we accidentally did? Do we chastise our children when they have accidents? How about those times when they didn't know the full extent of their actions? Do we treat them in the same way as if they had deliberately set out to do wrong? No. What if we carry that same argument to our own judgement? Will God judge us the same as we judge others? I hope not. He 'will give mercy, not justice'. I would not wish to be judged by anyone in this life, and certainly not in the next life, by those things which were accidental wrongs. 


Why are we so quick to use a different set of laws in judgement here, when we have already been forgiven so many accidental crimes and sins, by a loving God? Maybe it's a sign of our humanity, and again, maybe it's a sign of our distance from the same God who will judge us some day. I like the verse which says, "Will not the judge of all do right"? I for one, am counting on it.